


A Favor Asked

by Pontmercyingtilthecowscomehome



Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Canon verse, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Spoilers for all books, just some sweet fluff really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 02:58:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17479916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pontmercyingtilthecowscomehome/pseuds/Pontmercyingtilthecowscomehome
Summary: Costis and Kamet receive a pair of visitors to their humble home. Costis asks a favor.





	A Favor Asked

The old stories tell of times when the Gods would call on mere humans, requesting to enter their homes, seeking aid that they don’t need, and food that they won’t eat. From the moment one of the divine would cross the over the threshold, the world would cease to exist outside of that mortal’s home. At least, that was how the stories always made it sound.

Costis had a great aunt who insisted on always setting a place for a visiting God, at any table. She never wasted food serving the invisible one, though he knew of others her age who did.

Kamet tells him that there are similar stories across the world, which Costis was all too happy to listen to, although he grew a little bored with the explanations that Kamet provided as to why the tradition occurs everywhere.

At least these days, he can silence Kamet with a kiss.

Today, though, there is no time for a kiss. Not when there is a strange pricking at the back of his neck and he just knows that today, something is different.

“We’re having company today.” he announces, carrying in more firewood.

“Not there!” Kamet shoos him toward a far wall. “And I hope you didn’t bring in any bugs with all that… nature.”

“I made sure to collect every spider I saw,” he says, all serious. But he can’t keep up the act for long, and blushes. “No, no, Kamet. I did not. I am so sorry for the ones that came in last time. I looked at every log and--”

“It is fine,” Kamet cuts him off, which is probably good, or he would have gone on apologizing forever.

There is a knock at the door, and there is no time for kissing or any more arguing.

The two who arrive at the door of the humble cottage  of the escaped slave and the former soldier share, are neither humble nor unsuspicious, though they try to be. Or rather, the man tries, and would have quite thoroughly succeeded if it was not Costis he was trying to fool. Because Costis knows too well now his king’s talents, his ability to tuck himself away into the folds of new clothes, hiding all he was from others. So, no, Costis is not fooled by the grey haired man leaning on a cane before him.

Nor is he fooled by the poor man’s companion, because she does not know how to hide who she truly is. Certainly, her wealth is hidden by rags, her beauty by a smear of dirt on her cheek, as if she had been digging for crops only moments before, and her power by the way she too holds a cane. But that, in itself is telling, because the Queen of Attolia does not know how to lean on anyone but her husband, so the cane in her right hand is as much a sceptre as any, despite it being a rough hewn tree branch. Nothing dims the fire in her eyes, a fire Costis was afraid of, and afraid he would never see again, after her loss. 

Kamet, of course, in his adorable, sweet way, is fooled.

“Welcome, travelers,” he says carefully, opening the door wide to them. “Come, and rest for you are weary.” He is fooled, yes, but he is no fool. He knows hospitality is the gift given to beggars and to gods.

But the smile on Kamet’s face when Eugenides hugs him is a much better gift, Costis decides.

“We’ve come to see you,” Eugenides says, with that perfectly Attolian voice. Even having revealed one disguise, he remains in another. “See how you two fare, way out here.”

The Queen of Attolia nods, agreeing without speaking. It is not until they are at the table, and Kamet pours them wine, that she speaks. “And you both are well?”

Her voice makes his cheeks blush and his heart soar. “Yes, my-”

“Please, no names. No titles. Not while we are here.”

But he cannot call her Irene any more than he could fly to the sun. So he simply answers, “we are quite well.”

“Poor, poor Costis,” Eugendies says. “So far from home.”

“It’s not so bad,” he replies, all too aware of how far from home his king is. For Eugenides, home is a place and a time, long gone.

Or is it?

Because in the quiet moments that follow, Costis sees the face of a man who is at home as long as his beloved is happy. The boy-king ensures his wife has enough to eat, and makes sure she is comfortable in the chair, fussing over her until she snaps at him, which only makes him grin with delight.

It is good to see them this way, as humans, as mortal as Kamet and himself, instead of the stories he hears of them, which elevate them to divinity so easily. 

After all, Eugenides is the Annux, the great king, but he is also just a man.

 

However, when he catches Costis after dinner, when the queen and Kamet have already gone into the other room to sit by the fire, Costis wonders if the gods had heard that thought, and decided to prove him wrong.

Because there is a glint in Eugenides’ eyes like the fires of dawn, and power in his whisper like thunder. “I received your letter, Costis.”

“I...I… forgive me, my king.” He drops his head, and were there not a chair in the way, would have dropped to his knees. 

“Forgive you for what?”  His finger runs over the cool metal curve of his hook. 

“For… for questioning. For doubting.”

“Ah, yes. You doubt the will of my god, of the god you have sworn to serve. You doubt my intention for you, and my plans for you.” Eugenides says. “You feel you are not useful to me anymore. That I have banished you, and am angry with you.”

At that, he speaks up. “No. No. My king. It is that… I feel…”

“You have a lot of feelings Costis. Do start speaking of them, or we’ll be here all night.”

“I feel guilty for being so happy here.” He blurts it out in a sudden rush. “With him. I am happy.”

Eugenides laughs then, and it is a sound both mortal and divine. “Oh what to do with you, my little tenderhearted disciple. Shall I take away all you love? Break the heart you lay at my feet?”

“If you wish it,” he mumbled.

“You do realize that’s what you asked for, yes?”

“I…”

“You asked for something that cannot be undone, Costis. What a god ties together, no man may undo. Love is different, once duty is braided into passion.” 

He swallows then, suddenly. Aware of just how great a gift he asked for from his king. “I do not wish it undone.”

“Then it shall be so. Tonight, Costis Ormentiedes, I will take the heart you have sworn into my god’s keeping, and offer it to Kamet Kingnamer, to do with it as he wilt. To destroy you, or perhaps, worse yet, marry you.” The words were solemn, but the humor laying within them made his king’s eyes sparkle. “I am quite serious, Kamet. Marriage is not easy.”

“I am aware of that, my king.”

“In fact, one might even say having a spouse is a handful.”

There is a curt snap of the king’s nickname from the other room, a command as strong as any god’s and it makes both king and soldier’s ears turn pink.   
“Darling, it is a metaphor. It’s very in vogue these days.” he calls to his wife, his tone changing completely, the rugged accent of his home appearing. 

“Stop tormenting that poor man and bring him to us. We’re waiting.”

Eugendies pulls Costis to his feet. “Come. Your groom awaits.”

When the gods visit, blessings beyond measure sometimes come with them.


End file.
